Improvement in distilling apparatus



Erica.

llVlPROVElVlENT lN DlSTlLLlNG APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,56, dated July 10,1849.

To aZZ whom/i0 may concern Beitknown thatI, GHxRLns A. KRECHLER, of thecity of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Apparatus for Distillation; and I do herebydeclare that the same is fully described and representedin the followingspecification and accOInpanying drawings, letters, figures, andreferences thereof.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 denotes a front elevation of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical and central section ol'it. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section taken through one of the doors of the openings forthe supply and removal of charcoal, as will be hereinafter described.

A, Figs. 1 and 2, is aboiling-vessel or evaporator, which may be made ofcopper, and tinned over on its interior surface, heat being applied tothe same in any convenient manner. This vessel is intended to hold theliq uid or matters from which spirit-or alcohol is to beextracted byheat according to the usual process.

B B B B are a series of water tanks or cisterns constructed of copper orother suitable material, and made, respectively, to surround or inclosea series of conical frust-um -shaped vessels, CO C 0, each ofwhich ismade of two hollow conic frusta as seen in Fig. 2. All these vesselsfreely communicate with one another and with the main evaporator A. Atthe junction of the two conic frustra, composing each of said vessels, aperforated partition, (seen at D,D,D-, or D or one made of woven wire,is extended entirely across the vessel. XVithin the upper part of eachvessel is an inverted disk or meniscus-shaped circular plate, as seen atE, E, F", or E, this plate being made in diameter a little less thanthat of the upper part of the interior of thevessel in which it isplaced. The said plateis to be supported in position by any suitablecontrivances that will allow steam or vapor to pass freely between partor portions of its circumference and the surrounding vessel, and fromthe said vessel into the one directly above it. The front of each of thevessels 0 O C O isto be provided with a rectangular or other propershaped opening for the admission of charcoal, the said opening beingseen at a in Fig. 3. It (the opening) is provided with a covering plateor door,b,which is firmly kept in placebymeans of arched bars 0 andscrews (1. Each of the surrounding water-vessels B B B B is alsoprovided with a similar opening and door, as seen at e and f, the samebeing arranged directl y in front of the openings of the vessels 0, O,&c., the said door being kept closed by any proper means. The object ofthese openings and doors is to enable a person to supply or fill each ofthe vessels 0 0 C C with charcoal, and when necessary to remove the sametherefrom.

Each of the water-cisterns is provided with one inlet and one outletpipe, as seen at F F F F and G G G G, the inlet pipe being furnishedwith a tunnel, g, at its top, and made to extend down and open into thelower part of the vessel. The outletpipe opens out of the top part ofthe vessel, and is made to enter into one common upright hollowconductor or column, H. Water is supplied to each of the tunnels by afaucet, h, connected with and opening from an upright vessel or pipe, I,which communicates with some reservoir or suitable source for supply ofwater. The top part of the upper vessel, 0", is surrounded byasmallerwater-vessel,Biwhich, like the other water-vessels, also hasitsinlet and exit pipes, as seen at Z and m. A pipe,-,-K, leads out of theupper part of the vessel 0 and to a condensing apparatus of the ordinarykind, the latter not being represented, as it constitutes no part of myinvention.

The mode of using the apparatus is as follows: The vessels 0 G O 0 beingfilled with charcoal, and their doors, as well as those of thesurrounding water vessels, being well closed, the boiler or evaporatoris to be charged with raw brandy,whisky, or the matter from whichalcohol is to be extracted. Heat is next to be applied to the evaporatorin such manner as to boil its contents and cause the steam and alcoholicvapor to rise therefrom and pass up through the perforated partition Dinto and through the bed of charcoal resting thereon. The plate E abovethe charcoal reflects the steam and vapor and causes it to pass throughand out of the sides of the mass, and thence upward between the plateand vessel 0, and into the space directly below the next or succeedingperforated partition D, thence through the said partition and into andthrough the charcoal as before, this process being continued in eachvessel until the alcoholic vapor finally escapes through the pipe K andruns into the condenser. \Vhen the steam and vapor passes into the firstvessel, 0, cold water is to be suffered to flow through theinletpipes FF, &c., and to 1111 the water-tanks B B B &c., and escape out of theoutlet-pipes G G G", &c., the size of the several streams of waterflowing into the inlet-pipes being regulated by means of the faucetsabove them. The. steam and alcoholic vapor, in passing through thecharcoal, has the ethereal oil (Fuselohl in the German language) andwater extracted from it by the action of the charcoal, and the water orcooling liquid in the surrounding vessel, the temperature of the waterbeing maintained at the point or degree which will condense the water orsteam, and not the alcoholic vapor, the water, when so condensed, beingsuffered to flow back into the boiler or evaporator. By going throughthe several vessels containing the charcoal the alcoholic vapor willbenearly, if not completely, separated from the ethereal oil and water,and will pass into the condenser in a very pure state. \Vhen thecharcoal becomes surcharged with the oil it may be again rendered usefulby simply firing it, or glowing the whole mass of it, and afterwardputting out the fire.

By means of my improved apparatus from one single distillation of commoncorn or potato whisky of about forty-nine per cent. strength we mayobtain a clear alcoholic spirit of ninety to ninety-two and one-half percent. strength. So with raw brandy or whisky, and the employment ofcertain chemical means in the apparatus which abstracts the water fromthe spirit, alcohol of about ninety-six or ninety-seven per cent.strength can be ob tained. The apparatus will be found to be very usefulin the manufacture of alcoholic spirit to be used with turpentine, andfor the purpose of illumination. Vhen a common mash of corn or potatoesis distilled through the apparatus, a clear spirit of about eightyfiveper cent. can easily be obtained, and without employing any additionalchemical concentrating means. The apparatus is very useful also fordistilling alcohol from molasses or many other matters. In theconstruction of my apparatus I do not confine my invention to theprecise form or details hereinbefore specified, as the same maybechanged to any extent and manner so long as the principle or partclaimed as new is not altered.

What I claim as of my invention is The combination of one or morecharcoalchambers, and one or more water-vessels arranged and appliedtogether, substantially as above specified, and for the purpose ofcleansing the alcoholic spirit of ethereal oil (called in the Germanlanguage Fuselohl) and water, essentially as hereinbefore explained,each of the said charcoal-chambers being made either arranged in itstop, the same (viz., the disk) being for the purpose of causing thevapor which passes into the charcoal to escape laterally and impingeagainst the surrounding densed, which would not so effectually takeplace were the vapor to pass directly and vertically through the mass ofcharcoal.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this 29th day ofMay, A. D. 1849.

CHARLES A. KREOHLER.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY,

J OHN NOBLE.

with or without the reflecting disk or plate cooling vessels,whereby itswater may be con-

